1. Field of the Disclosure
The present disclosure is directed to scintillation devices and methods of assembling such devices, and more particularly directed to ruggedized scintillation detectors for industrial applications.
2. Description of the Related Art
Scintillation detectors have been employed in various industrial applications, such as the oil and gas industry for well logging. Typically, these detectors have scintillator crystals made of an activated sodium iodide material that is effective for detecting gamma rays. Generally, the scintillator crystals are enclosed in tubes or casings, which include a window permitting radiation-induced scintillation light to pass out of the crystal package for measurement by a light-sensing device such as a photomultiplier tube. The photomultiplier tube converts the light photons emitted from the crystal into electrical pulses that are shaped and digitized by associated electronics that may be registered as counts and transmitted to analyzing equipment.
However, the incorporation of scintillator crystals in industrial applications is difficult, as scintillator crystals are very sensitive components. For example, exposure of the crystal to contaminants, such as water vapor, can result in degradation of light output by the crystal reducing the effectiveness and lifetime of the scintillation detector. Exposure of the scintillator crystal to extreme vibrations can result in false counts and inaccurate measurements. Additionally, exposure to extreme temperatures, and rapid temperature changes can affect the light output of the scintillator crystal resulting in incorrect measurements.
As such, while certain designs for scintillation detectors have been utilized with success, the industry continues to demand improved scintillation detectors capable of withstanding the harsh environments encountered in various industrial applications, with particularly desirable performance.